Clamp.



H. W. HEIDBRINK & H. H. LIESEMEYER.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR..17, 1912.

Patented July 9, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @Fllflfifi I-IERIVIANN W. HEIDBRINK AND HERMANN I-I. LIESEMEYEB, OF ROSEBUD, MISSOURIv CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9,1912.

Application filed April 17, 1912. Serial No. 691,374.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERMANN W. Ham- DRINK and HERMANN H. LIESEMEYER, citi- Zens of the United States, residing at Rosebud, in the county of Gasconade and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in clamps and has for its object to provide a simple, efficient and durable device of this character which is particularly designed for use in connection with quilting frames, curtain stretchers and analogous structures wherein means for detachably connecting the frame elements is provided.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a frame clamp for the above purposes which may be easily and quickly positioned to securely clamp adjacent frame members together and rigidly hold the same against relative movement, the use of bolts, screws and analogous fastening means being entirely eliminated.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a frame clamp embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the clamping lever in its released position; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4: is a detail fragmentary longitudinal sect-ion illustrating the mount ing of the clamping lever.

Referrlng 1n detail to the drawing, 5 and .6 designate the frame members which are to be clamped together, said members constituting one of the sides and ends of a quilting frame or other structure. Upon the frame bar 5 our improved clamp device is mounted, said device consisting of a body bar or plate 7 the intermediate portion 8 of which is disposed in parallel relation to the frame bar 5 and closely adjacent there to. To this central portion of the body bar a transversely disposed open loop 9 is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured, said loop having one of its ends secured to the plate 7 and its other end disposed upon one of the longitudinal edges of the bar 5, the

intermediate portion of said loop extending transversely beneath the bar. By providing a loop of this form, a strip of cloth may be secured to the edge of the frame bar so that the quilt may be attached temporarily to each of the frame bars. One end of the body bar 8 of the clamp is offset as at 10 to provide the longitudinal clamping end 11 between which and the bar 5, the frame bar 6 is disposed. The other end of the body plate or bar 8 of the clamp is obliquely inclined outwardly from the bar 5 as indicated by the numeral 12 and is provided in its end with a longitudinal slot 18. A pivot pin 14: extends across the outer end of said slot, the end of the body plate being bent around the pin to rigidly hold the same in position and prevent its rotation.

Upon the pivot pin 14: the clamping lever 15 is mounted, said lever having one of its ends disposed at right angles to the body portion thereof as at 16 and provided with a foot 17 to engage upon the end of the spring plate 18, the other end of said plate eX- tending between the frame bar 5 and the body bar 7 of the clamp and being rigidly secured to the latter. At the juncture of the angularly disposed end 16 with the body portion of the lever, said lever is provided with an apertured lug or enlargement 15 in which the pivot pin 14 is loosely disposed. The other end of the lever 15 is outwardly curved or bent and flattened as at 19 to provide a finger piece whereby said lever may be conveniently moved to its released or clamping position.

In the practical use of the invention, after the frame elements have been arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the clamping device is longitudinally moved upon the frame bar 5 until the end 11 of the body bar 7 of the clamp is disposed over or upon the frame bar 6, the clamping lever being in its released position as shown in Fig. 2. This lever is now forced downwardly, the angular portion 16 thereof moving outwardly between the inclined end portion 12 of the body bar 7 and the spring plate 18. The foot portion 17 of the lever bears against the free end of the spring plate and forces the same downwardly or inwardly upon the frame bar 5. This movement of the free end of the spring plate and the downward movement of the angular end 16 of the lever also causes the offset end 11 of the body plate 7 to bear upon the frame bar 6, and

rigidly clamp the same upon the bar 5, thereby preventing relative movement of the frame elements. It will be observed that when in its clamping position the foot 17 of the lever 15 is disposed outwardly beyond the plane of the pivot pin 14, and the tendency of the spring plate to assume its normal condition causes an outward pressure upon the lever at its pivoted end, thereby forcing the other free end of the lever into contact with the end 11 of the body plate 7 and maintaining said lever in such posit-ion. The frictional engagement of the free end of the spring plate 18 with the frame plate effectually overcomes any tendency of the clamp to move longitudinally upon the frame bar in the use of the quilting frame or other structure.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is believed that the construction and manner of use of our improved clamp will be clearly understood. The device is extremely durable, simple in its construction and highly efiicient and convenient in actual use. The same provides means whereby the various members of the frame may be easily and quickly as well as securely clamped together without requiring the adjustment of screws, bolts or similar connecting members.

\Vhile we have above described the preferred construction and arrangement of the various parts of our improved clamp, it will be obvious that the device is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

\Vhat we claim is 1. In combination with the two members to be clamped together, a clamp adjustable upon one of aid members, said clamp comprising a body bar, having a loop to embrace the frame member, one end of said body bar being obliquely inclined from the frame member, and the other end of said bar being disposed in spaced parallel relation to said member for engagement upon the other of the frame members, a clamping lever having an angularly disposed end portion, said clamping lever being fulcrumed in the obliquely inclined end portion of the body bar, and a spring plate secured at one end to the body bar adapted to be engaged by the angularly disposed end of the clamping lever to force said plate at its free end into frictional engagement with the frame member upon which the clamp is disposed and simultaneously clamp the body bar at its offset end upon the other of said members.

2. In combination with the two members to be clamped together, a clamp longitudinally adjustable upon one of said members, said clamp comprising a body bar, an open loop secured to said bar intermediate of its ends and embracing said member, one end of said bar being offsetand disposed in spaced parallel relation to the other of said members for clamping engagement upon the samefthe other end of said body bar being obliquely inclined and provided with a longitudinal slot, a transverse pivot pin extending across said slot, a clamping lever having one end disposed at a right angle to the body portion of the lever and provided with a foot, said lever being fulcrumed at the juncture of the angular end and body portion thereof upon said pivot pin, and a longitudinally extending spring plate rigidly fastened at one end to the intermediate portion of said body bar and adapted to be engaged at its free end by the foot of said lever to force said end of the spring into frictional clamping engagement with the member upon which the clamp is mounted, the movement of said lever to its clamping position simultaneously clamping the other end of said body bar upon the other of the frame members, said clamping lever at its free end engaging upon the offset end of the body bar.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

HERl IANN V. HEIDBRINK.

HERMANN H. LIESEMEYER. Witnesses E. V. NALZ,

GEO. VVALZ.

Copies of this patent ma be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

